Happy new year and welcome to our first column for 2026.
After a short break and refresh over the festive season, Greater Shepparton Foundation was straight back to work creating opportunities for local people across our community.
Applications for our Lift Off Education Scholarships closed in mid-December and were promptly assessed and shortlisted for interview earlier this month.
Those interviews have now been completed by an independent panel, and we are pleased to advise that successful recipients for 2026 will be announced and celebrated at a ceremony on February 5.
This year saw our highest number of applications in the scholarship’s 11-year history, reflecting both the growing need and aspirations of local students.
We sincerely thank our scholarship sponsors this year, which are listed on our website, and the members of the independent Lift Off Education Scholarship Committee for the time and expertise they bring to governing this important annual program.
Our Forever 500 campaign is also gaining momentum, with many community members choosing to donate in recent weeks.
A $500 gift through Forever 500 does two powerful things at once.
Half of your donation ($250) goes straight to work now, pooled with other Forever 500 contributions to support grassroots community projects that make an immediate difference.
The remaining $250 is invested for the future, growing a permanent Forever Fund that will continue to give back year after year, generation after generation.
To learn more or to sign up, visit greatershepparton.foundation
In response to the current needs within our community, we will open our annual Margaret Attwood Grant Round earlier than usual this year, launching in February.
This grant round supports projects that address an immediate or unmet community need and that align with the foundation’s vision of inclusive, interconnected communities where everyone has an equal opportunity to participate.
Funding will assist local grassroots organisations delivering place-based projects.
We encourage organisations to follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to be notified when the round opens.
Late 2025 marked six years of our Oral Language Intervention program, with an entire cohort of students receiving the intervention from Prep through to Year 6 across Mooroopna primary schools.
This award-winning program continues to demonstrate positive results.
We are collating the six years of data and will undertake a deep evaluation, with a report to be released later this year.
Finally, 2026 is a milestone year.
Greater Shepparton Foundation, following on from our predecessor organisation, The Community Fund Goulburn Valley, will celebrate 25 years of service to the community.
We are incredibly proud of the impact achieved alongside our supporters and collaborators and look forward to celebrating this anniversary and sharing stories throughout the year.
Until next time.
Amanda McCulloch
Greater Shepparton Foundation executive officer
